Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Man, Wild Heaven Craft Beers and I have a helluva history together. They were one of my very first posts on this website here and we have been down like four flat tires ever since! Well, I had the pleasure of witnessing founders Eric Johnson and Nick Purdy finalize their first "sessionable" brew first hand during a trip out in Greenvile, S.C., so to see it hit Taco Mac for pouring on the first day of February, I am hella proud of 'em!

Eric "Eazy-E" and "Slick" Nick
finalizing Let There Be Light.

Already a fan of their high gravity brews of deliciousness (Ode To Mercy, Ode To Mercy Winter, Eschaton, and Invocation), they threw everyone a curveball with a refreshing ale called Let There Be Light (4.7 percent ABV), but don't let the last word of this clever name fool ya. There is nothing light about this complex sipper which is packing a load of flavor and complexity judging from what I have sampled before recipe man Eric jazzed it up even more. To shed light on things a bit, President Nick told me in an exclusive interview, "Well, it's partially that sometimes I drink kind of fast, or maybe it's a long football game where you're going to drink more than a couple beers. Or maybe it's after work and you don't want to drink soda but you don't want water or juice or coffee... so, a 'little' beer hits the spot. So we wanted one of our own for those occasions. Some of my friends say 'lake beer' or 'pool beer.' I'd describe it as a slightly citrusy version of an amber or a pale."I can't friggin' wait to hit up one of these Taco Mac locations--Atlanta Metropolis (Peachtree St.), Virginia-Highland, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Cumming, Perimeter, Buford, Kennesaw, Newnan, Roswell (Crabapple) and Marietta - Dallas Highway--and see what finishing touches they put on this bad boy. Here is the official press release below.

Happy sippin'!

Ale

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Wild Heaven Craft Beers Releases Its Lowest Alcohol Beer to Date

Introducing the sessionable “Let There Be Light”

Decatur, GA (January 31, 2011)- Who says lighter beers have to be boring? Wild Heaven Craft Beers has taken on that challenge with their brand new brew Let There Be Light. As the brewery’s first "sessionable" beer, Let There Be Light comes in at only 4.7% ABV yet is full of flavor. Starting with both barley and wheat, brewmaster Eric Johnson added two rare hops—Nelson Sauvin and Sorachi Ace—along with a bit of orange peel, to create a complex beer with a citrus note that will change the way you think about "light" beer.

“Wild Heaven is always about flavor first and we noticed that people assume you can only get big flavors from big beers.” says Wild Heaven President Nick Purdy. “We challenged ourselves to create a beer that's really interesting, complex and flavorful, but would fit those occasions that a more sessionable beer fits the bill. With Let There Be Light, an obviously tongue-in-cheek name, we think we've done it.”

Beginning February 1st, Wild Heaven Craft Beers is teaming up with select Taco Mac locations around Georgia to offer an exclusive and limited sneak peek of Let There Be Light. The exciting new beer will be featured as February’s "Beer of The Month" at the following Georgia Taco Mac locations: Atlanta Metropolis (Peachtree St.), Virginia-Highland, Suwanee, Alpharetta, Cumming, Perimeter, Buford, Kennesaw, Newnan, Roswell (Crabapple) and Marietta - Dallas Highway.

Each Thursday night during February is "Pint Night" at Taco Mac, offering Wild Heaven fans a chance to get a free Wild Heaven pint glass with their order of Let There Be Light.

About Wild Heaven Craft Beers

Wild Heaven is a Decatur, Georgia based company created by lifelong Georgians – founder Nick Purdy and consulting brewmaster Eric Johnson – that aims to be one of America’s great breweries as well as helping raise the profile of beer in the South. Wild Heaven beers are designed in the great tradition of European brewing but with a distinctly American creative flair. Their all-grain, no adjunct-sugar philosophy creates bigger flavor without excess alcohol. For more information about Wild Heaven Craft Beers, please visit www.wildheavencraftbeers.com. Stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wildheaven on on Twitter at @beerwildheaven.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Yep! That song by Lynyrd Skynyrd popped in my head on cue when I crossed the state lines heading in from the ATL! Yeah, I left a roster of awesome beer events back home including the wild Atlanta Winter Beer Fest (Whaddup, Mike G. and High Gravity Hip Hop!); and the incredible showcase of one-and-dones, the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting run by man Owen Ogletree, but hey, being able to travel and experiences things I have never done? It all balances out. Plus, what awaits me in the charming city in Birmingham, my own beer seminar discussing this site, my Cruisin' For A Brewsin' videos, articles I have written, and everything else I do concerning beer at the FoodSouth Blog Conference, I think it’s a good trade off.

Amber-Ale. Get it?

After scoring some Chick-Fil-A and driving about two hours during Friday’s picturesque afternoon, I checked into the Springhill Suites downtown B'Ham and immediately went to a spot my fellow beer nerds back home recommended I check out: an awesome beer bar called J. Clyde. Just blocks from my hotel, revered Atlanta food writer Andrea Janise (@atlfoodwriter) joined me for a brew at this secluded spot on a quiet brick-lined street nestled just a block from the bustling downtown. The menu boasted hundreds of bottled beers and the taps were pouring some pretty serious craft brews. J. Clyde’s cozy interior reminded me of some of my favorite beer bars back home like The Porter and the Brick Store's Belgian Room in terms of that rustic, cellar feel embellished with exposed brick.

Always down to discover beer I never had, I tasted a few local goodies and Amber, J. Clyde’s manager on duty, made sure I sampled her current favorite, Good People Brewing's Wee Heavy. Everything was delish, but I settled for Avondale Brewering Company’s Spring StreetSaison (pictured up top) which was fantastic. I had a ball but my chilling time was short because the FoodBlog pre-party at a spot called Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q was quickly approaching. Mingling with fellow bloggers, aspiring ones, chefs, journalists and media reps from all over the world, this was a great event. As for brews, they had a pretty limited tap selection but the Good People Coffee Oatmeal Stout and a wonderful Pale Ale called Naked Pig in a bottle was one of the better ones that I have ever tried, period.
The day was eventful and Atlanta, I will miss ya, but Birmingham and its people welcoming us with open arms is pretty freakin' cool.
I am looking forward to hosting a fun event, have a tasting with more than a hundred attendees thanks to my beer sponsor, Good People, and hitting up their brewery for the FoodBlog South after-party later tonight. Haaaaaaayyyy!
Happy sippin'!
Ale

Thursday, January 26, 2012

So you have this battle of wine vs. beer all over the bars, restaurants and even the Internet. For instance, there’s beer authorities like Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver calling out wine connoisseurs worldwide to battle him in the arena of which is better to pair with food and he’s kicking ass with his ales and lagers. Then there are some wine people who say beer makes them fat and it’s not as sophisticated a beverage, while many brew heads like me think wine makes us sleepy and simply cannot compare in terms of range in flavors.

The Wine Sign. Booo!

Well, whatever gang sign you throw up—the “Westside W” for wines or the “A” for ales—Dogfish Head might get the Nobel Peace Prize with a hybrid this consistently eccentric brewer is bringing to fine package stores across the nation in a couple weeks. Yep, they did it again by creating the Noble Rot (9 percent ABV), which ‘Fish’s Founder and President Sam Calagione claims “…is the most ambitious hybrid of beer and wine in thousands of years.” Hopefully soon, I will see about that!

Regardless, cheers to Dogfish and anyone else ballsy enough to experiment and further expose all the glory ales and lagers have to offer. You will see it in a 750 ml bottle for $12.99 by early February.

Check out Dogfish Head’s official press release below with the full breakdown and history behind the Nobel. Crazy!

Deuces!

Ale

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From Dogfish Head:

Noble Rot is the most ambitious hybrid of beer and wine in thousands of years

Complexity comes from grapes infected by benevolent fungus

Clay is the perfect material for capturing time in a bottle. As molecular biologists have discovered by unearthing ancient tombs, organic residue trapped in porous chards of pottery reveals quite a bit about what our ancestors drank on the special occasions of burial feasts.

It's interesting that thousands of years ago – in places such as Turkey, China and Central America – these momentous occasions were celebrated with hybrid beverages. These alchemistic mixes incorporated exotic ingredients like saffron and hawthorn fruit with multiple sugar sources like honey, grapes, rice and barley.

As often as we look forward and innovate, Dogfish Head has looked backward for inspiration as we explored ancient recipes like Midas Touch, circa 1740 B.C., in Turkey and Chateau Jiahu, circa 7000 B.C., in China.

Now we are bringing this hybrid concept into the future with Noble Rot.

"This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world that's ever been done commercially," says Dogfish Head Founder and President Sam Calagione.

For Noble Rot, 49.5% of the fermentable sugars come from grapes, and 50.5% come from grains. Two unique white wine grapes, sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash., add complexity to this saison-esque science project.

The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This "noble rot" reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called "dropping fruit," where large clusters of grapes are clipped to intensify the quality of those left behind.

"It's been fascinating to watch the cross-pollination of wine and beer," says Alexandria Nicole Founder Jarrod Boyle. "We're excited to be involved in this."

Noble Rot, which clocks in at 9% ABV, is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.

Noble Rot will be available in 750-ml bottles ($12.99 MSRP) and on draft in the next few weeks. We are very excited to bring a beverage like this into the beer, food and wine worlds simultaneously.

Besides, we always wanted to see if a beer with the word "rot" in the name would actually sell.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Whaddup!!!Man, it has been painful hearing all the hype about where Bell's Brewery's Hopslam--arguably the most revered India Pale Ale next to Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Three Floyds' Dreadnaught IMO--is getting poured around Atlanta due to it being deadline day for the magazine I am the editor for, J'Adore. Well I didn't score a six which was going for $16.99 at Green's up the street from me because they sold out on Tuesday in less than 22 minutes, but I finally knocked down an 8 oz. at The Porter for under five bucks! Believe me, it's a great IPA and it is a favorite pastime of us beer nerds to rush to the store to get a six, but at the end of the day, I am not running over street-crossing pedestrians and squirrels with a death wish to buy some. On tap is one hell of a treat and if I get some in a bottle, I get some. IPAs don't age well any damn way. Anyways, here is my happy face drinking one at one of my favorite beer bars (thanks for the picture, Andrea!). Try and get some while you can. Oh! They had the Founder's Double Trouble as well and that joint...man! The hops were screaming for attention so I ordered a taste before going to the Jailhouse Beer Dinner at the Edgewood Corner Tavern (which I will be posting later because it was a blast!), so like Schwareznegger wearing the locs and a badass motorcycle jacket, "I'll be back!" The D.T. was awesome! It must be a Michigan thang.Deuces!Ale

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Twain's brewer Chase Medlin happily gave everyone at their media tasting a 'Black Eye' and sipped to it afterwards with no remorse! He's currently seeking anger management between brewing shifts.

What's up, my peoples???Yeah, I know, I have been out of he mix for a minute but I have been working my ass off trying to get the new issue of J'Adore Magazine out and it hasn't been enough hours in the day for a brother. Of course, I still find time to enjoys some great brews that are currently out (look for some serious coverage soon), but in the meantime, here is what's poppin' on the fly. You know I couldn't leave you hanging for too long, right?

1) I just went to a private gathering with some of Atlanta's top brew dogs--I'm talking the owners of The Porter, veteran beer scribe Bob Townsend, the Brick Store crew (Happy birthday, Dave!), Eddie from Ale Yeah!, the Leon's fam, Beer Street Journal's Reid Ramsey, and a gang of others--to check out the new brews on tap at Twain's in Downtown Decatur. I will have to say they were all pretty damn fantastic and are available now for sipping bliss! Get over there a.s.a.p and especially try new site brewer David Stein's mastery including the Tropicalia IPA (made with a new hop blend called Zythos), the deliciously robust Aunt Polly's Porter, and arguably the best Black IPA in the South, the Black Eye Roasted Rye brewed by Chase Medlin (above)! The small, spicy sausage bites paired with them all well, too! Ever since I featured them in the November 2011 issue of Jezebel (see "Pub Love"), I am expecting big things from Twain's in the future after tasting these top-notch suds and quality grub.

2) Mayday! Mayday! The nationally renowned IPA brewed with honey called Hopslam by Bell's out of Michiganis on tap at spots like The Porter and Brick Store. You know, Hopslam? The one that I am sippin; in my logo? The one that mercilessly has everyone in a frenzy nationwide when it comes out for like one week annually? Well since it's been out since last Friday, it's evident I must be crazy busy if I haven't had it yet. I may have to sneak over one of those spots later on today before it's tapped out. You might want to do the same! Call around and see who has any left. I'll do the same.

3) And last but certainly not least, there is a killer 3-course beer dinner tonight at 7 pm hosted by Hampton,Georgia's Jailhouse Brewery and Edgewood Corner Tavern.

It should be a good one. Personally, I love beer dinners where chefs and brewmasters flex their culinary muscles to see what pairs the best creatively and, well, deliciously. Wait, is that a word? Well it is in my house just in case! Anyway, I believe they might have a couple tickets left at $50 a head (call 404.577.2310), so if you are like me and always wait until the last minute, grab 'em before they are ghost!Here's the menu and info:

MENU:

1st COURSE

Beer Cheese Soup with a Boston Bibb Salad

Served with Slammer Wheat

2nd COURSE

Chorizo Stuffed Pork Tender Loin Braised with Breakout Stout

Served with Hot 3 Bean Salad & Broccoli Rabe

OR

Almond Crusted Salmon with a Tarragon Burre Blanc

Served with a side of Grilled White Asparagus

Served with Mugshot IPA

3rd COURSE

Tiramisu

Served with Breakout Stout

---------

And with that, I say peace until next time. Oh, and I can't wait to hit up Birmingham, Alabama for the FoodBlogSouth 2012 Conferencethis weekend, where I will be hosting my very own beer seminar with suds provided by the local brewery, Good People! Check out this link for details.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

So I just returned from kicking it and covering the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (thanks Ford!) and as soon as I got off the plane, I did a kickass Heavy Seas Brewery Pub Crawl that spanned from Downtown Decatur’s Taco Mac, to Square Pub and ending up at the Brick Store; followed by the Allagash takeover at Thinking Man Tavern down the street (the “Thing 2” brew was awesome!). Man it's nice to be home!

Everyone loved the
2013 Ford Fusion!

Finally catching a breather, grabbing a SweetWater Happy Ending Imperial Stout and editing some work at a super cool brew spot called Napoleon’s in Togo Hills with my brother Lamont, I get an email that someone saw my ugly (or handsome if you're not a hater) mug on a CNN video called The Life of an Auto Show Model (check it out here) featuring the Auto Show. Cool! I wish I kept my hand off my face, but hey, they still had your homey in the beginning.

After getting back to business, I check my email and lookee here: an announcement posting everything going on during the 3rd Annual Winter BeerCarnival in the ATL! Remembering how much of a ball I had last year at its outdoor Midtown location last February, I have no doubt that this year’s Carnival is going to be even better; this is especially true after looking at the crazy beer list. From all kinds of games, to ice slides, a jamming DJ, grub, and VIP tent, it was a jamming time sipping some of the world’s best suds. Am I going this year? Hell to the yeah!

The Winter Beer Carnival is going down on Saturday, February 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Atlantic Station this time around, and besides all the 100-plus craft brews lined up (including product from New Belgium Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery, Bell's Brewery, Chimay, Founders Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing Company, La Trappe, Rogue Ales, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Stiegl, Unibroue, and my local homies SweetWater Brewing Company and Wild Heaven Craft Beers, among a ton of others), there will be ciders and even gluten-free cold ones available, so every picky palate is covered. General and VIP tickets are on sale now for ages 21 and up at www.ticketalternative.com and 877.725.8849.

See you there, homies!

Ale

Coupled with more facts and figures, here’s the updated list (and there could be more!):

The 3rd annual Winter Beer Carnival on Saturday, February 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. is a rain or shine event and is produced by Premier Events and TA Presents. This year’s event will be held at a new location, Atlantic Station’s special event site at 20th Street at Fowler Street and 241 20th Street in Atlanta, Georgia. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and $50 day of the event. VIP tickets are $60 and grant patrons exclusive access to the best craft brews available, private bathrooms and early entry to the event beginning at 2 p.m. $20 tickets for designated drivers in advance and $30 day of the event are also available. Tickets are on sale now and available at www.ticketalternative.com and 877.725.8849. For more information about the 2012 Winter Beer Carnival, visit www.winterbeercarnival.com. Stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/winterbeercarnival and on Twitter at @beercarnival.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

What the...! I just went to Best Buy to check out a few things and as usual, the CD racks lured me over. Reminiscing on artists I have loved to blow my speakers with over the years, I came across arguably the best Hip-Hop album ever made, Public Enemy’sIt Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) for an astounding $4.99!!!

I remember when I bought it back when it first came out in a tape case for two bucks more than that! Chuck D’s passion and lyrics on the mic; the instrumental interludes; Flavor Flav’s best exhibition of being the best hype man ever; the live concert clips in London; Terminator X killin’ the turntables; and the banging beats? Classic! Even though I had that album already, I had to get it again just on principle. I will give it to my nephew Kingston and show him what real rap is that has an actual message and direction. Fight the Power!

Anyway, although a six of Lowenbraus was my choice beer my senior year of high school back in Shaker Heights, OH. (Go Red Raiders!), I revisited this five-star CD of perfection with a can of the Oskar Blues Gordon Imperial Red (8.7%, 60 IBUs) out of Lyons, Colorado. The theme? Honoring the pioneers.

Blogging of which, Oskar Blues got legally hated on by the Gordon Biersch chain of breweries for using the name “Gordon,” which O.B. graciously named after Gordon Knight—a Vietnam vet, Purple Heart recipient, legendary craft brewer and fireman who died on July 30th, 2002 in a helicopter crash while fighting the Big Elk Meadows forest fire just miles from the Oskar brewery. (Check out the full story here.) Hence, there are no more cans of this excellent ale using that name produced anymore. The Gordon came out in 2003 and its name was changed to “G’Knight” in January, 2011, but thankfully the formula didn’t; it’s still just as excellent, winning all kinds of awards left and right. Yeah, I could have kept this Gordon single for EBay or some sh*t, but hoppy brews don’t age well and, hey, I have three more. Plus, Public Enemy deserves the honor.

So, should Gordon Biersch reserve the right to solely own the name Gordon? As track number three says on A Nation of Millions, “Don’t Believe The Hype!”

About Me

Originally from New York and a Cornell University alumnus, I'm anentrepreneur, award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and beer expert who has worked with various publications and websites for the past 15 years, including FirstWeFeast.com, Ebony, Jezebel, Upscale, JET, Men's Book, WHERE Magazine and Atlanta Eats TV to name a few. I also specialize in celebrity profiles, lifestyle features, travel destinations, automobiles, dining, product reviews, sports, and numerous other topics. On the beer side, there's this cool site, my own beer show on the Web—Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’—beer events I host, judge various beer contests, and produce art productions throughout Atlanta via my creative agency AllWays Open Creative.